China Unveils Blockchain-Powered Data Exchange

Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance has signed off on the establishment of the Pakistan Digital Assets Authority (PDAA), a body which will be responsible for the implementation of regulations governing blockchain and the digital assets sector. In a report published by Pakistani English-language newspaper Dawn, the media outlet outlined that the Ministry of Finance has taken this step in an effort to embrace future innovation in the finance sector.  The new agency will be responsible for monitoring the operations of digital wallet service providers, stablecoin issuers, the development firms behind decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, crypto custodians and crypto exchange platforms. Photo by Hamid Roshaan on UnsplashFrom crypto ban to crypto regulationIn October 2022, Pakistan was removed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, from its grey list. The following year, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Finance and Revenue, Aisha Ghaus Pasha outlined that banning cryptocurrency was a condition of the country’s removal from the FATF grey list. Accordingly, the South Asian country proceeded to ban digital assets, with Ghaus Pasha declaring that crypto would “never be legalized in Pakistan.”Despite the adverse position taken previously by the authorities in Pakistan where digital assets were concerned, in 2024 a survey carried out by Chainalysis revealed that Pakistan featured strongly in terms of retail-level crypto adoption. With this latest development, Pakistan is moving forward progressively with digital assets, albeit that it is doing so while being cognizant of the current requirements demanded by FATF related to crypto. The newly-formed PDAA will act to ensure FATF-compliant innovation, while striving for economic inclusion and the adoption of digital assets in a responsible manner. Regulating to lead crypto innovation rather than catching upPakistan’s current Minister for Finance and Revenue, Muhammad Aurangzeb, said that “Pakistan must regulate not just to catch up — but to lead.” He added that through the establishment of the PDAA, a digital assets regulatory framework that protects consumers will be created. Furthermore, he claimed that such an approach would attract global investment, putting Pakistan “at the forefront of financial innovation.”Another area of focus for the PDAA will be the facilitation of the tokenization of government debt and national assets. Pakistan runs an annual average electricity surplus of 4,000 megawatts. In 2024, total electricity generation was recorded at 92,091 GWh while demand weighed in at 68,559 GWh. With that, the Pakistani authorities want the PDAA to create the correct conditions that will lead to regulated Bitcoin mining operators utilizing this energy resource. Other objectives which have been set out for the new agency include encouraging the growth of startups aimed at building blockchain-based solutions at scale, the regulation of what is estimated to be a $25 billion informal crypto market and the provision of legal clarity within the crypto sector in Pakistan for both local and international investors. This latest positive development follows the formation of the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC) back in February. That event signaled a policy shift in Pakistan with regard to digital assets. In March PCC CEO Bilal bin Saqib said that Pakistan was done sitting on the sidelines and that the authorities now want to see Pakistan develop as a “leader in blockchain-powered finance.”

CarrieVerse token CVTX listed on BitgetWeb3 metaverse and NFT platform CarrieVerse’s governance token CVTX will be listed on global cryptocurrency exchange Bitget on Dec. 13, according to an article published by South Korean news outlet Money Today. This is the eighth exchange listing for the altcoin, following Gate.io, GOPAX, BingX and more. This comes as part of the platform’s efforts to expand its Web3 ecosystem.Photo by Maxim Hopman on UnsplashCVTX’s versatilityBuilt on Polygon, CVTX is integrated into the tokenomics ecosystem of CarrieVerse and its card strategy role-playing game (RPG) SuperKola Tactics. It is also the governance token for the CarrieVerse blockchain gaming platform Cling. CVTX can be traded for USDT on all of the exchanges it is listed on except for GOPAX, which offers a CVTX/KRW pair. KRW stands for Korean won.Global expansionLast month, CarrieVerse also joined the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), the UAE’s largest free-trade zone for blockchain and crypto companies, as a metaverse service provider. The platform has received approval to set up a local subsidiary there, which will serve as a base to expand its ecosystem, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.“The market value of CarrieVerse and CVTX is expected to significantly increase once the platform is released in target regions. This will serve as a foundation for more listings on major domestic and international exchanges,” the company said, adding that its number of daily active users has exceeded 5,000.Bitget’s substantial presenceBitget is a cryptocurrency derivatives exchange registered in Seychelles, with global offices in Japan, South Korea, Canada and more. As one of the top ten derivatives exchanges in the world according to CoinMarketCap, Bitget handles over five million users and more than 500 cryptocurrencies. It is also registered on South Korea’s two largest exchanges, Upbit and Bithumb, as a market that facilitates deposits and withdrawals after the implementation of the crypto Travel Rule. The Travel Rule, enforced by the intergovernmental Financial Action Task Force, states that VASPs must share personal information about customers when facilitating crypto transactions that exceed a certain amount as a means of preventing related crimes.

Incheon Launches Blockchain Hub Center to Lead Web3 EraIncheon Metropolitan City announced Monday that it has established the Incheon Blockchain Hub Center at the heart of the city in an effort to establish itself as a blockchain hub in Korea and usher in the era of Web3.Photo by Hon Kim on UnsplashThe center, located in the Jemulpo Smart Town building, will house various facilities, including offices for the Incheon Technopark Blockchain Center, blockchain companies, and startups, as well as spaces for technological development and relaxation.Fostering innovation and cooperationThe center aims to undertake systematic and diverse projects that citizens and businesses alike can benefit from. This includes supporting tenants of the hub center, providing an environment for technology development and demonstration, and funding blockchain technology development. It will also serve as a spot for Incheon Technopark’s blockchain acceleration program, business model exploration and design, and events such as blockchain hackathons and conferences.The city is also set to hold an opening ceremony for the center on Wednesday, during which over 20 organizations and firms will gather for the inauguration of a committee dedicated to promoting mutually beneficial relationships between blockchain-based service providers and consumers. Among the consumers are central and municipal governments and state-run agencies. Initiating connections and making business support processes more efficient will constitute the committee’s core tasks, the city said.Incheon’s vision for Web3“The world is evolving to accommodate Web3, the new blockchain-based Internet, amid the global trend of digital transformation,” said Lee Nam-joo, Director of Incheon’s Future Industry Bureau. In accordance with this transformation, he said, the city of Incheon would push on to become a leading blockchain hub with a globally competitive edge by continually implementing various projects and policies through the committee — including joint projects between the public and private sectors — to provide support for business and technological development.In more efforts to build an active blockchain industry, Incheon is also currently operating a blockchain education program and regularly hosts events and hackathons to promote the widespread use of Web3 technology. Notably, a two-day conference dubbed “Global Blockchain Incheon Conference” is scheduled to take place from October 30 to 31 in the city’s southern district Songdo.